MARTİAL ARTS

UFC 138 Leben vs Munoz Live Stream

2011-11-05T12:16:00.000-07:00

UFC 138 Leben vs Munoz Live Stream. Watch out for the fight of Chris Leben vs Mark Muñoz in the UFC 138. This is exciting and full of surprises, so everyone will be there and will watch this exciting UFC 138. This is happening live at Birmingham, England, United Kingdom.

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evans vs davis

2011-08-02T00:49:00.000-07:00

Fedor vs Henderson

2011-07-28T14:07:00.000-07:00

WWE Monday Night Raw Wrestling

2011-07-25T11:18:00.000-07:00

Watch WWE Monday Night Raw live stream Wrestling online TV 2011.
2011 July 25 – Monday, 20:00 Time ET (GMT -5) (Times may vary)

Wrestling, WWE Monday Night Raw, WWE Monday Night Raw Wrestling

Strikeforce Challengers 17 Fight Card: Voelker vs. Bowling

2011-07-21T15:48:00.000-07:00

Strikeforce brings you the next event in their Challenger Series this Friday night from the Pearl at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas. The main event will be the rubber match between Bobby Voelker and Roger Bowling, who have fought twice before. Bowling won the first by technical decision after an eyepoke early in the third round forced the fight to go to the scorecards. Voelker rebounded with a unanimous decision victory in their second bout last October.

The other highlights of the card include prospect Ovince St. Preux taking on Joe Cason, former Strikeforce women's 135 lb. champion Sarah Kaufman returning to action against Liz Carmouche, and hard-hitting prospect Adlan Amagov making his Strikeforce debut. The card will air on Showtime starting at 11 p.m. ET/PT. Here's the full card:

Bobby Voelker (23-8) vs. Roger Bowling (9-1)

Strikeforce brings you the next event in their Challenger Series this Friday night from the Pearl at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas. The main event will be the rubber match between Bobby Voelker and Roger Bowling, who have fought twice before. Bowling won the first by technical decision after an eyepoke early in the third round forced the fight to go to the scorecards. Voelker rebounded with a unanimous decision victory in their second bout last October.

The other highlights of the card include prospect Ovince St. Preux taking on Joe Cason, former Strikeforce women's 135 lb. champion Sarah Kaufman returning to action against Liz Carmouche, and hard-hitting prospect Adlan Amagov making his Strikeforce debut. The card will air on Showtime starting at 11 p.m. ET/PT. Here's the full card:

Bobby Voelker (23-8) vs. Roger Bowling (9-1)

Devin Cole (18-9-1) vs. Shawn Jordan (10-2)

Ovince St. Preux (10-4) vs. Joe Cason (9-1)

Sarah Kaufman (13-1) vs. Liz Carmouche (6-1)

Adlan Amagov (7-1-1) vs. Ron Stallings (9-3)

PRELIMINARY CARD
Lionel Lanham (3-0) vs. T.J. Cook (14-3)
Ben Lagman (6-1) vs. Anthony Smith (13-6)
Bill Cooper (1-0) vs. Maka Watson (4-0)
Brian McLaughlin (6-1) vs. Sterling Ford (12-4)

Evans vs. Davis

2011-07-08T14:16:00.000-07:00

UFC 133: Evans vs. Davis
UFC 133 Fight Card
Aug 6, 2011 9:00 PM EDT
Jorge Rivera vs Alessio Sakara
Yoshihiro Akiyama vs Vitor Belfort
Brian Ebersole vs Dennis Hallman
Rich Franklin vs Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Phil Davis vs Rashad Evans
Johny Hendricks vs Mike Pierce
Mike Brown vs Nam Phan
Alexander Gustafsson vs Vladimir Matyushenko
Ivan Menjivar vs Nick Pace
Mike Pyle vs Rory MacDonald
Chad Mendes vs Rani Yahya
Rafael Natal vs Constantinos Philippou

Fedor vs Henderson

2011-07-08T14:06:00.000-07:00

Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson Fight Card
Jul 30, 2011 10:00 PM EDT
Fedor Emelianenko vs Dan Henderson

Welterwight Title Fight

Marloes Coenen vs Miesha Tate
Tarec Saffiedine vs Scott Smith
Tim Kennedy vs Robbie Lawler
Paul Daley vs Tyron Woodley
Alexis Davis vs Julie Kedzie
Lyle Beerbohm vs Gesias Cavalcante

Bellator 47 Fight Card

2011-07-08T13:55:00.000-07:00

Bellator 47 Fight Card
Jul 23, 2011 9:00 PM EDT
Nazareno Malegarie vs Marlon Sandro
Pat Curran vs Ronnie Mann.

Strikeforce Challengers 17 Fight Card

2011-07-08T13:38:00.000-07:00

Strikeforce Challengers 17 Fight Card
Jul 22, 2011 9:00 PM EDT
Roger Bowling vs Bobby Voelker
Sarah Kaufman vs Liz Carmouche
Adlan Amagov vs Ronald Stallings
Devin Cole vs Lavar Johnson
Joe Cason vs Ovince St. Preux

DREAM Fight For Japan July 16, 2011

2011-07-08T13:05:00.000-07:00

DREAM Fight For Japan Fight Card
Jul 16, 2011 9:00 PM EDT
Light Heavyweight Title Fight

Gegard Mousasi vs Hiroshi Izumi

Featherweight Title Fight

Hiroyuki Takaya vs Kazuyuki Miyata
Masakazu Imanari vs Hideo Tokoro
Todd Duffee vs Nick Gaston
Keisuke Fujiwara vs Kenji Osawa
Eiji Mitsuoka vs Bruno Carvalho
Marius Zaromskis vs Hayato Sakurai
Drew Fickett vs Tatsuya Kawajiri
Tatsuya Mizuno vs Trevor Prangley

Gegard Mousasi (MMA), Tatsuya Kawajiri (MMA), Hideo Tokoro (MMA), Hiroyuki Takaya (MMA), Kazuyuki Miyata (MMA), Todd Duffee (MMA), Marius Zaromskis (MMA), Hayato Sakurai (MMA), Hiroshi Izumi (MMA), Willamy Freire (MMA), Masakazu Imanari (MMA), Nick Gaston (MMA), Kenji Osawa (MMA), Keisuke Fujiwara (MMA), Eiji Mitsuoka (MMA), Bruno Carvalho (MMA), DREAM Fight For Japan: 2011 Bantamweight Japan Tournament Final,2011 Bantamweight Japan Tournament Final

Watch UFC 132 Online live Stream

2011-06-28T03:20:00.001-07:00

Watch UFC 132 Live Stream Online on July 3 Cruz vs Faber in Las Vegas

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UFC 132 live stream

2011-06-28T03:01:00.001-07:00

UFC 132 live stream : Cruz vs. Faber 2 is an UFC 132 live upcoming mixed martial arts event to be held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 2, 2011 at UFC 132 live stream the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada

Main card

Bantamweight ufc 132 live stream Championship bout: United States Dominick Cruz (c) vs. United States Urijah Faber
Middleweight bout: Brazil Wanderlei Silva vs. watch ufc 132 live stream United States watch ufc 132 live Chris Leben
Light Heavyweight bout: ufc 132 live stream free United States Tito Ortiz vs. ufc 132 live free United States Ryan Bader
Welterweight bout: United States Carlos watch ufc 132 online Condit vs. South Korea Dong Hyun Kim
Lightweight bout: watch ufc 132 free Germany Dennis Siver vs. ufc 132 online United States Matt Wiman

Preliminary card

Lightweight bout: Cruz vs Faber live stream United States Melvin Guillard vs. United States Shane Roller
Lightweight bout: UFC 132 Cruz vs Faber live stream Australia George Sotiropoulos vs. Brazil Rafael dos Anjos
Bantamweight bout: United States Brian Bowles vs. Japan Takeya Mizugaki
Middleweight bout: United States Jason Miller vs. United States Aaron Simpson
Lightweight bout: Nigeria Anthony Njokuani vs. England Andre Winner
Featherweight bout: United States Erik Koch vs. United States Cub Swanso

Watch The 2011 New Titan Fighting Championships 16 Fight Online Live Free Streaming

2011-01-28T09:55:00.000-08:00

Titan Fighting Championships 16 will be taking place on January 28, 2011 at the historic Memorial Hall in Kansas City, KS. The event will kick off at 7:30pm central standard time. The headliner for this event is former UFC heavyweight fighter Tim Sylvia who will be in main event action against Abe Wagner. Sylvia has a current win loss record of 28-6 while Wagner is 7-3. The fight is sure to be a hit with fight fans as they can watch this event live at watch Titan Fighting Championships online.

Sylvia, who was a former UFC heavyweight title holder 3 years ago, is trying to make another run at the title again but in another fighting league. Originally Sylvia was not scheduled to take part in this event but is actually taking the place of Todd Duffee. He was signed to replace Duffee as he took part in a New Year’s showdown with Alistair Overeem in K-1 Grand Prix.

Note: To watch this event CLİCK !!

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The signing of Sylvia was a great move for the Titan family because it has helped promote this fight and has turned the main event into a high profile match. “I’m going to go in there and try to knock his ass out,” Sylvia said when asked recently for a prediction on the fight. “You can expect me to go in there, get another win, and start off the New Year right.”

The card for the fight is as follows:

Main Event: Tim Sylvia vs Abe Wagner

Jason High vs Rudy Bears

Rich Clementi vs Aaron Derrow

Drew McFedries vs Gary Tapusoa

Bobby Cooper vs Drew Dober

John Hollis vs Brian Phillips

Anthony guiterrez vs Jacob Akin

Alonzo Martinez vs Deryck Ripley

Undercard

Tony Cardello vs Billy Thomas

Mac Bailey vs Mirsad Bektic

Julian Marquez vs Jason Perrotta

Titan Fighting Championship 16 lineup complete; weigh-ins feature Phil Baroni appearance

2011-01-26T08:58:00.000-08:00

WATCH LİVE !

Titan Fighting Championship is ready for its HDNet debut.

Executives from the Kansas-based promotion recently revealed the final 11-bout lineup for Friday's HDNet-televised event, which is headlined by former UFC champion Tim Sylvia (28-6) and "The Ultimate Fighter 10" cast member Abe Wagner (6-3).

"Titan Fighting Championship 16: Sylvia vs. Wagner" takes place Jan. 28 at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan. It's the first Titan event slated for an HDNet broadcast.

Additionally, Titan Fighting Championship officials announced that weight-ins for the event will be free and open to the public. Featuring an appearance by recent Titan Fighting Championship signee Phil Baroni, the ceremony takes place on Thursday, Jan. 27 at at the Argosy Casino Hotel & Spa in Kansas City, Mo.

"The show isn't scheduled to happen until Friday, but the fun will begin at the weigh-ins on Thursday at the Argosy," Titan Fighting Championship CEO Joe Kelly stated in the official release. "The Argosy is a world class resort with an amazing casino, great bars and restaurants, and a Vegas-style buffet.

"The weigh-ins will be a great chance for the public to stop by and meet the fighters and get autographs and pictures taken."

The full Titan Fighting Championship 16 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD

•Tim Sylvia vs. Abe Wagner
•Rudy Bears vs. Jason High
•Rich Clementi vs. Aaron Derrow
•Drew McFedries vs. Gary Tapusoa
•Bobby Cooper vs. Drew Dober
•John Hollis vs. Brian Phillips
•Jacob Akin vs. Anthony Gutierrez
•Alonzo Martinez vs. Deryck Ripley
PRELIMINARY CARD (un-aired)

•Tony Cardello vs. Billy Thomas (a)•Mac Bailey vs. Mirsad Bektic (a)•Julian Marquez vs. Jason Perrotta (a)

Regardless of UFC Fight Night 24 outcome, Tito Ortiz not ready to retire

2011-01-26T07:35:00.000-08:00

Tito Ortiz laughed it off at first. Then he realized they were serious.

Not long after Matt Hamill handed him his third consecutive loss at this past October's UFC 121 event, he got a call from UFC executive Lorenzo Fertitta and UFC president Dana White.

They told him he should retire. After the initial surprise, he pleaded with them.

"I said, 'You guys have got to give me a chance, man,'" Ortiz told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "Look at my last fights. I fought Forrest Griffin last year with a ruptured disk in my neck, and I still fought to a split decision. I come back a year later after neck surgery, and I fight a guy who's on a five-fight win streak, and I lost a couple of takedowns.

"You guys think I should retire? It's just crazy."

He eventually convinced them to give him one last shot. White later called him back, and Ortiz (15-8-1 MMA, 14-8-1 UFC) asked for a fight with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (19-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC), the twin brother of former PRIDE and UFC champ Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. "Little Nog" had most recently lost a unanimous decision to blue-chip prospect Ryan Bader.

The two are now set to meet in the headliner of the recently announced UFC Fight Night 24 event, which takes place March 26 at Seattle's KeyArena and airs live on Spike TV.

"I probably could have gotten an easier fight, but I wanted to challenge myself," Ortiz said. "Do I fight someone who I'm supposed to beat, or do I fight someone that's supposed to beat me? I like these terms better."

This past Saturday, White said Ortiz will "probably retire" if he loses to Nogueira.

Once a dominant force in an early era of the Zuffa-owned UFC, Ortiz's back is against the wall. His family life, meanwhile, has never been better. Despite the storm around him, he's happier than ever.

During his title reign in which he defended his belt six consecutive times, he had an entourage of 15 people following him at all times. He had 15 or 16 training partners, all part of his Team Punishment MMA squad. He had that glow that surrounds a champ.

Now, he has four or five training partners. The original team has scattered to the winds. He recently has taken refuge at Kings MMA and works with Fabricio Werdum, Mark Munoz, Jake Ellenberger and former Chute Boxe patriarch Rafael Cordeiro. But he's just another guy on the team.

He has not won a fight since Oct. 10, 2006, when he railroaded Ken Shamrock a third time at "Ortiz vs. Shamrock 3: The Final Chapter," a special Spike TV event.

"If you were to look in my car right now, it's empty," Ortiz said. "There's no one behind me. I literally have four friends, and that's it."

How does that feel? It's part of the business, he shrugs. When you lose, you suck. When you win, you're the greatest. He needs a win; he needs to build himself back up. But there is no reason to retire.

"That doesn't sit well with me at all," he said. "I'm not getting knocked unconscious. I'm not getting submitted. I'm not getting dominated. I'm losing by decision; I'm losing by draws."

So when White hints at his retirement, Ortiz bristles. And regardless of the outcome of the March 26 fight, he said he'll keep going.

"One-hundred percent," Ortiz said. "I'm healthy for once. People don't understand the injuries that I've gone through. I've had some serious, serious surgeries, and I went through some serious pain over the last seven years, and I fought through it. Now that I'm healthy and I feel good, I want to compete. I want to show the best I possibly can and fight the best guys possible."

If you're a longtime MMA fan, you've heard this rap before. The injury stories, the bad circumstances, and bluntly put, the excuses that follow an Ortiz loss. Online, his name prompts a stream of abuse from fans who are tired of hearing him cry wolf.

Meanwhile, he has about 80,000 followers on his Twitter account. He sells a ton of Team Punishment merchandise on his website. People still line up for autographs.

"I've been in the game for a long time," he said. "For anybody to criticize me and say that I make excuses, well, those are the people that haven't lived my life. Those guys are behind the computer and are the computer tough guys who eat donuts and drink coffee every single day. Those guys can't say [expletive]. Those are the people I don't pay attention to. I pay attention to the people who support me, the people that have my back whether I win, lose, or draw."

But really, a win is everything when it comes to salvaging what's left of a name that people, love him or hate him, care about. Ortiz thinks Nogueira will bring the best out of him, and he'll show people he's still a force to be reckoned with. He says that every time, and he believes it.

His back is to the wall, but he likes it that way.

"It's just a challenge God has given me, and a challenge the UFC and Dana has given me," Ortiz said.
by Steven Marrocco

HDNet Fights Video Vault: Shinya Aoki vs. Yuichiro Nagashima at "Dynamite!! 2010"

2011-01-26T07:34:00.001-08:00

The only thing more bizarre than the rules for the fight was the fight itself.

This past month at DREAM "Dynamite!! 2010" in Japan, MMA veteran Shinya Aoki took on K-1 kickboxer Yuichiro Nagashima in a "special rules" bout that featured one kickboxing round and one MMA round.

In our latest installment of HDNet Fights Video Vault, we relive the entertaining train wreck.

Each week HDNet and MMAjunkie.com release a new and exclusive fight from the ever-growing HDNet Fights video library. Stunning knockouts, slick submissions, shocking finishes and legendary brawls are the norm for this weekly feature. Aoki vs. Nagashima is no exception.

As seen in the video, the first round proved something of a disaster. Despite officials intending for the round to be held under traditional K-1 rules, Aoki apparently didn't get the memo. But despite the confusion, the fight still got a definitive finish.

Aoki entered the fight with a 26-5 record, and the DREAM and Shooto champ had won five of his previous six fights. But when some less-than-popular and questionable fight bookings were combined with the peculiar "Dynamite!! 2010" fight, Aoki had drawn the ire of some fans.

Nagashima, who's posted a 16-4 record with K-1, briefly experimented with MMA in 2006, going 3-2 with three knockout wins. Aoki, though, clearly represented his most prominent opponent to date outside of the K-1 cage.

Would Aoki survive the K-1 round and knock off the kickboxer, or would Nagashima reign supreme in the oddly structured fight?
by MMAjunkie

UFC 126 officially sold out

2011-01-26T07:32:00.000-08:00

Next week's "UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort" event officially is sold out, officials today announced.

The event, which features a middleweight title fight between champ Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort, airs on pay-per-view live from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

Despite the sellout, fans still can purchase $50 tickets to a UFC 126 close-circuit viewing party at the Islander Ballroom at Mandalay Bay.

"Fans have been telling me how excited they are for this card ever since we announced the event," UFC President Dana White stated. "This is a stacked card from top to bottom, and fans responded by making UFC 126 a sellout."

UFC 126 marks the organization's return to the Mandalay Bay Events Center for the first time since UFC 109, which hosted 2010's Super Bowl-weekend card.

In fact, UFC 126 will be the ninth consecutive event the UFC has hosted on Super Bowl weekend. Seven of the past eight have taken place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, which seats approximately 12,000. (The venue's sister property, the MGM Grand Garden Arena, hosted the Super Bowl card in 2009.)

The latest UFC 126 card includes:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)

•Champ Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort (for middleweight title)
•Forrest Griffin vs. Rich Franklin
•Jake Ellenberger vs. Carlos Eduardo Rocha
•Ryan Bader vs. Jon Jones
•Antonio Banuelos vs. Miguel Torres
PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)

•Paul Kelly vs. Donald Cerrone
•Chad Mendes vs. Michihiro Omigawa
PRELIMINARY CARD (Untelevised)
•Gabe Ruediger vs. Paul Taylor
•Demetrious Johnson vs. Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto
•Kyle Kingsbury vs. Ricardo Romero
•Mike Pierce vs. Kenny Robertson

After MMA snub in Harris Poll, rep says sport will be reconsidered next year

2011-01-26T07:31:00.000-08:00

UFC president Dana White is blunt about mixed martial arts' place in mainstream sports.

We're not even close, he says.

That conclusion especially is reinforced when he stumps for MMA in New York, as he did a few weeks ago, and gets questions about the rules of the sport and its brutality. Double that when the UFC goes overseas.

Some in the MMA bubble might be shocked by White's statement. But as an influential poll released today suggests, it's clear that he's right: The sport has a long way to go.

Harris Interactive, a research company with widely distributed and influential surveys, recently asked American fans about their favorite sports. MMA isn't even listed.

According to the 2010 survey, pro football is king of the sporting world and is followed by baseball and college football.

Boxing, a sibling of MMA in the combat-sports world, is ranked 13th. It's outpaced by NASCAR (fourth), hockey (sixth), and bowling (11th).

If bowling is more popular than boxing, where does that leave MMA?

Off the radar, at least from a statistical perspective, said Samantha Braverman, a senior project researcher with Harris Interactive. (Between 2,000 and 3,000 people are surveyed, Braverman said.)

"When the poll started, I don't think mixed martial arts was around, or [as] popular as it is now," she today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "We've made one change to the list, and I believe that was in 1985 when we separated professional and college football and basketball. In terms of remaining consistent and accurate, that's why."

Braverman, however, said that could change. She's received several inquiries from several sportswriters as to why MMA isn't on the list, and it's "piqued" her interest about its inclusion. A significant trend or change in the sporting world is at the heart of whether a sport makes the list.

Depending on the topic, up to 10 researchers talk to industry experts and groups to get a pulse of an emerging or established sport.

"If we're missing something that's significant, it's important for us to realize that and determine what our practices are for moving forward," she said.

To this point, bubble-dwellers might roll their eyes. Hundreds of millions of pay-per-view dollars? Sold-out arenas? National TV exposure? A franchise valued at more than $1 billion? (And that doesn't even include organizations such as Strikeforce and Bellator Fighting Championships.)

Where are you guys looking?

"I think that as this poll is now out in the field, and we're getting response from it, we'll probably meet and discuss any feedback we've received, and what sports (should be) looked into further," Braverman said. "I would say based on the amount of feedback we've gotten on MMA, it's something that I'll certainly bring up as something we want to see what's going on there, and how we feel about it.

"I can't guarantee the poll is going to change next year, but I think it's something that we'll certainly look into."

Pictured: Dana White -by Steven Marrocco

Strikeforce Challengers 14 adds Prater vs. Travers, Apple vs. Larson

2011-01-26T07:29:00.000-08:00

Former WEC title challenger Carlo Prater (25-10-1 MMA, 0-0 SF) meets Bryan Tavares (14-2 MMA, 0-1 SF), and Erik Apple (10-2 MMA, 0-1 SF) takes on fellow welterweight Ryan Larson (5-2 MMA, 0-0 SF) at next month's Strikeforce Challengers 14 event.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today confirmed the matchups, which mixedmartialarts.com first reported.

Featuring a lightweight main event between unbeaten Lyle Beerbohm and Pat Healy, Strikeforce Challengers 14 takes place Feb. 18 at Cedar Park Center in Cedar Park, Texas.

Prater vs. Travers and Apple vs. Larson are expected to be part of the main card, which airs live on Showtime.

Prater, who was once one of the welterweight division's most promising fighter, has lost four of his past five fights in a variety of organization. Back in September, he competed in Shine Fights' single-night lightweight grand prix. Although he lost to Rich Crunkilton via split decision in the opening round, he replaced the fighter in the semis due to an injury. Prater then scored a majority-decision victory over Charlie Brown and advanced to the finale, where he suffered a submission loss to eventual tourney winner Drew Fickett.

He now meets Travers, a longtime Gladiator Challenge fighter who debuted with Strikeforce in May. At Strikeforce Challengers 8, he suffered a decision loss to Pat Healy. It remains the only loss of his past eight fights, which included a Palace Fighting Championships victory over UFC and IFL vet John Gunderson.

Apple, meanwhile, has dropped two of his past three fights, though he hasn't compete professionally since a November 2009 TKO loss to Bobby Voelker at Strikeforce Challenger 5. The other loss came to notable Brock Larson at WEC 26.

Ryan Larson, his upcoming opponent, makes his Strikeforce debut after competing in Texas-based promotions, where he won five of his first six fights before a recent August loss to Derrick Krantz (9-2). Larson's past four wins all have come via first-round submission.

UFC on Versus 3 officially adds Natal-Sakara, Hendricks-Thiago, Cantwell-Diabate

2011-01-26T07:27:00.000-08:00

The fight schedule for the UFC's first-ever event in Kentucky is nearly complete.

UFC brass today officially added three more contests – including Rafael Natal vs. Alessio Sakara, Johny Hendricks vs. Paulo Thiago and Steve Cantwell vs. Cyrille Diabate – to the UFC on Versus 3 fight card.

All three contests were previously reported by MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

Featuring a welterweight matchup between perennial contenders Martin Kampmann and Diego Sanchez, UFC on Versus 3 takes place March 3 at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.

Natal (12-3-1 MMA, 0-1-1 UFC was originally expected to face Maiquel Falcao, who was forced to withdraw from the matchup due to injury. "Sapo" seeks his first UFC win in three trips to the octagon. "Sapo" suffered a unanimous-decision loss to Rich Attonito in his debut at UFC Fight Night 22, and a return bout at UFC 124 ended in a draw with Jesse Bongfeldt following a back-and-forth three-round affair.

Sakara (15-7 MMA, 6-4 UFC) is anxious to get back in the cage and hopes to extend a recent three-fight win streak. With a bit of a career resurgence, the Italian striker has posted knockout wins over Joe Vedepo and James Irvin and a split-decision win over Thales Leites. Due to a mixture of scratched bouts, injuries and a family death, the UFC on Versus 3 bout will be just the third Sakara has had in the past 19 months.

Hendricks (9-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) experienced the first loss of his professional career in his most recent appearance when he was outpointed by Rick Story at The Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale. The setback snapped a four-fight streak earned after his migration from the WEC to the UFC.

Thiago (13-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC), meanwhile, has his back to the cage. Despite an all-out effort that won him "Fight of the Night" honors, he was outpointed by the persistent Sanchez this past October at UFC 121. That compounded a decision loss to division standout Kampmann in his previous fight.

Cantwell (7-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) has had a difficult time getting into the octagon as of late. The former WEC light-heavyweight champion was due to meet Stanislav Nedkov in October at UFC 120 but was forced to withdraw only 48 hours prior to the event with a knee injury suffered in the practice room.

It was supposed to be Cantwell's first fight back after the Nevada State Athletic Commission refused to issue him medical clearance for a fight against Vladimir Matyushenko at UFC 108. He spent five months on the bench as the commission reviewed his denial, which centered around the medical paperwork he submitted for the January bout. In May the commission gave him the all-clear for a fight license.

Cantwell was heavily rumored for a bout with Ricardo Romero in July at UFC 116, but the bout did not materialize. He hasn't fought since September 2009, when he lost a unanimous decision to former WEC champ Brian Stann in a rubber match of two previous meetings in which they swapped wins. His skid started one fight prior when he was outpointed by Luis Cane at UFC 97.

So it's easy to surmise that if Cantwell doesn't make this fight, he may find himself on the unemployment line.

Diabate (16-7-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) is not safe either following a submission loss to Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 120. The setback snapped a six-fight win streak capped by an impressive knockout win over Cane in the striker's octagon debut at UFC 114.

by MMAjunkie

Jon Madsen vs. Mike Russow official for UFC Fight Night 24 prelims

2011-01-26T07:25:00.000-08:00

Heavyweights Jon Madsen (7-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) and Mike Russow (13-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) will meet at UFC Fight Night 24.

UFC execs today officially announced the matchup, which takes place on the preliminary portion of the March event.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) previously reported the contest.

Featuring a light heavyweight matchup between longtime veterans between Tito Ortiz and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, "UFC Fight Night 24: Ortiz vs. Nogueira" takes place March 29 at Seattle's KeyArena and airs on Spike TV.

Tickets for the event go on sale this week.

Russow, a Chicago cop, is back on the MMA beat after suffering a broken arm in his most recent fight, a spectacular come-from-behind knockout win over Todd Duffee at UFC 114. Easily one of the best comebacks in the promotion's recent history, the performance put another $65,000 in his pocket with "Knockout of the Night" honors. And it certainly muted a bland taste left by his octagon debut, when he took on Justin McCully at UFC 102 and ground out an unexceptional decision win.

Madsen, meanwhile, is on a bit of a tear since his turn on "The Ultimate Fighter 10." The H.I.T. Squad-trained fighter is now 4-0 inside the octagon and most recently sent veteran Gilbert Yvel packing with a first-round TKO win at UFC 121. It was Madsen's first stoppage victory after three consecutive decision wins against Karlos Vemola, Mostapha Al-Turk and fellow "TUF 10" castmate Justin Wren.

Madsen has yet to meet defeat in his professional career.
by MMAjunkie

Bellator officially adds Zac George to season-four featherweight tourney

2011-01-26T07:22:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week, Bellator Fighting Championships brass officially announced the promotion is featuring a 145-pound tournament in the promotion's upcoming fourth season.

Now the company is busy revealing names for the eight-man bracket.

Bellator officials recently announced Zac George as the second official participant in their forthcoming featherweight playoff.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) first reported George's inclusion in the tourney.

"Zac George finishes fights and often finishes them early," Bellator chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney stated in the official release. "Anyone he faces in our featherweight tournament this March will need to be at the very top of their game to hope to get out with a victory."

George makes his Bellator debut on the heels of a six-fight win streak that includes five stoppage victories. In fact, 17 of the seven-year vet's 20 victories have come via stoppage. Most recently, he submitted Bellator vet Bryan Goldsby at an October 2009 C3 Fights show.

However, injuries and a contract issue with Shine Fights have kept him sidelined since then. The 27-year-old Oklahoma native and Team Quest fighter now makes his Bellator debut.

"I've wanted to fight for Bellator for a while now," George stated. "It's an exciting weightclass, and Bellator has a bunch of really talented fighters with records similar to mine. They're hungry guys looking for their shot and they all want to go out there to beat some people up and make some money. I'm really excited about it."

George joins Eric Larkin (3-0 MMA, 1-0 BFC) as officially confirmed participants in Bellator's featherweight tournament.

As MMAjunkie.com previously reported, Georgi Karakhanyan (14-2-1 MMA, 2-1 BFC), Wilson Reis (11-2 MMA, 3-2 BFC), Daniel Straus (14-3 MMA, 1-0 BFC) and Nazareno Malegarie (19-0 MMA, 0-0 BFC) also are expected to take part in the featherweight tourney. Additional entrants will be announced in the coming weeks.

The tournament, which runs over the full 12-week season, kicks off in March on MTV2. Bellator, which aired past seasons on ESPN Deportes and then FOX Sports Net, also is expected to host season-four tournaments in the lightweight, welterweight and light-heavyweight divisions.

STRIKEFORCE EVENT - Nick Diaz vs. Evangelista Santos january 29

2011-01-26T07:21:00.000-08:00

NICK DIAZ VS EVANGELISTA SANTOS ON TAP FOR JANUARY 29 STRIKEFORCE EVENT
There will be no bout with Jason “Mayhem” Miller at the upcoming January Strikeforce event, instead welterweight champion, Nick Diaz will defend his title against Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos.

Diaz will defend his title for a second straight time, putting an eight fight win streak on the line. The defending champ has put together a 9-1-0 (1) record over his last eleven fights, and is fresh off a unanimous decision win over KJ Noons last October.

Evangelista Santos
“Cyborg” Santos meanwhile, is 1-1 under the Strikeforce banner having gone 3-2 in his last five. He dropped to 170 lbs for the first time in his last fight defeating Zaromskis last June by TKO.

The Jan. 29 Strikeforce event will take place at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California and will be live on Showtime.

MMA major events schedule

2011-01-26T07:06:00.001-08:00

Saturday, Jan. 29

Strikeforce: Nick Diaz vs. Evangelista Santos, HP Pavilion, San Jose, Calif. Showtime.

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Saturday, Feb 5
UFC 126: Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort, Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, PPV

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Saturday, Feb 12
Strikeforce: Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Silva, Izod Center, E. Rutherford, N.J., Showtime

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Saturday, Feb 18
Strikeforce Challengers: Lyle Beebohm vs. Pat Healy, Cedar Park Center, Cedar Park, Tex., Showtime

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Saturday, Feb 26
UFC 127: B.J. Penn vs. Jon Fitch, Acer Arena, Sydney, Australia, PPV

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Thursday, March 3
UFC on Versus 3: Martin Kampmann vs. Diego Sanchez, KFC Yum Center, Louisville, Ken., SpikeTV

Madison Rayne vs Mickie James - Thursday 27th January

2011-01-18T04:18:00.000-08:00

Jeff Jarrett vs. Scotland’s own Lionheart - Thursday 27th January

2011-01-18T04:16:00.001-08:00

Beer Money, Inc. vs. Motorcity Machine Guns - Thursday 27th January

2011-01-18T04:12:00.000-08:00

Rob Van Dam vs. Matt Hardy - Thursday 27th January

2011-01-18T04:09:00.001-08:00

Mr. Anderson Vs. Jeff Hardy - Thursday 27th January

2011-01-18T03:51:00.000-08:00

LIVE! PBP Coverage: TNA Genesis – Mr. Anderson Vs. Jeff Hardy

TNA World Heavyweight Championship Title Match “The Charismatic Enigma” Jeff Hardy (c) Vs. Mr. Anderson -Eric Bischoff comes out with a steel chair, sets the chair up in the middle of the ring, and sits down -Bischoff has the microphone and tells Anderson he is impressed with him. -Bischoff announces Hardy will come out and defend his title tonight, Anderson will receive his TNA World Heavyweight Championship title shot tonight -Hardy comes out the ring wearing a suit and smoking a cigarette -Anderson can barely stand up, Hardy taking his time to get to the ring -Hardy assaulting Anderson on the ground, Twist of Hate from Hardy, Jeff goes for the pin and Anderson kicked out -Hardy back to assaulting Anderson, Hardy not being very aggressive, Hardy picking Anderson up, Jeff hits him with another Twist Of Hate, Anderson kicks out yet again -Hardy seems frustrated, Anderson chants erupt in the crowd -Jeff continues his assault on a grounded Anderson, Anders...

Watch Live Mr. Anderson vs. Jeff Hardy - Thursday 27th January

2011-01-18T03:42:00.001-08:00

TNA Championship
Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Mr. Anderson

Hardy beats over Anderson with a few forearms and connects with a Twist of Hate. Hardy covers...1...2...Anderson kicks out. Hardy is surprised. We can still see Matt Morgan on the outside recovering from the prior #1 contendership match. Hardy picks up a lifeless Anderson and connects with a second Twist of Hate. Hardy covers...1...2...Anderson gets a shoulder up. Hardy can't believe it. Hardy goes to pick up Anderson again and Anderson falls down tossing Hardy through the ropes to the outside. Anderson distracts the referee as Matt Morgan clotheslines Hardy on the outside. Morgan tosses Hardy back in the ring, Anderson covers and gets a close two count. Hardy and Anderson start exchanging right hands. Anderson gets the better of it until Hardy kicks him in the gut. Anderson with a big combo into a spinning neckbreaker for a close two count. Hardy with a Whisper in the Wind on Anderson. Anderson falls out of the ring and attempts to recover. Hardy grabs a steel chair and walks towards Anderson. Mick Foley runs up and takes the chair out of the hand of Hardy. Ric Flair walks down and yells at Foley. TNA officials break it up between them. In the ring, Hardy tosses Anderson back in. Hardy is up top and Anderson crotches him. Anderson tries to climb up, but Hardy pushes him away to the mat. Hardy with a Swanton Bomb. Hardy hooks the leg...1...2...Anderson somehow kicks out yet again. Anderson with his flipping shoulder bomb on Hardy. Hardy recovers quickly and takes out Anderson with a clothesline. Hardy calls for his brother Matt. Matt runs down and RVD is in pursuit. RVD pulls Matt away from the ring and hits him with right hands near the ramp. Bischoff has a chair in the ring. Anderson kicks Bischoff and gives him a Mic Check. Hardy is back in, Anderson counters a Twist of Hate and hits the Mic Check. Anderson hooks the leg and gets the pinfall.

Winner and NEW TNA Champion: Mr. Anderson

Huge reaction from the crowd in Orlando to the finish. After the match, Mr. Anderson is handed the TNA Championship as other members of Immortal and Fortune run down in shock. We then see highlights of the match leading to the finish. Back live, Anderson is holding up the TNA Championship. Anderson reaches up for his mic to speak. Looks like a fan ran in to take part in the fun. He refers to himself as the Total Nonstop Action Champion, Mr. Anderson. The PPV goes off the air with Anderson celebrating on all four corners holding up the TNA Championship.

THIS MONTH IN FIGHTERS

2011-01-17T11:13:00.000-08:00

London : Total Nonstop Action (TNA) today announces the full line-up for its “Maximum iMPACT! 2011” UK Tour, including new additions Matt Hardy and Kurt Angle.

Hardy and the Olympic Gold Medallist join a roster of top TNA superstars that already includes “Nature Boy” Ric Flair, Jeff Hardy, Rob Van Dam, Mickie James, Douglas Williams, “King of the Mountain” Jeff Jarrett and TNA World Heavyweight Champion Mr. Anderson.

Also competing at the TNA events in Glasgow, Manchester and London is British star Mark Haskins – rated as the country’s brightest young wrestling talent.

Sadly AJ Styles has suffered an injury meaning he will miss the Tour, which also takes in Lyon, Paris, Berlin and Dublin.

The matches announced for the “TNA Maximum iMPACT! 2011” Tour include:

Thursday 27th January - Glasgow Braehead Arena

TNA World Heavyweight Championship Match - Mr. Anderson vs. Jeff Hardy

Tag Team Action - “Nature Boy” Ric Flair & Kazarian vs. Douglas Williams & Matt Morgan

Genesis Re-Match - Rob Van Dam vs. Matt Hardy

TNA World Tag Team Championship Match - Beer Money, Inc. vs. Motorcity Machine Guns

Special Challenge Match - “King of the Mountain” Jeff Jarrett vs. Scotland’s own Lionheart

Also Appearing: Olympic Gold Medallist Kurt Angle, TNA Knockouts Champion Madison Rayne, “The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero, Mickie James, “Prince of Punk” Shannon Moore, Angelina Love, Tara, Mark Haskins and more!

Friday 28th January - Manchester Evening News Arena

TNA World Heavyweight Championship Match - Mr. Anderson vs. “The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero

First Time Ever!: Tag Team Dream Match - The Hardyz vs. Motorcity Machine Guns

TNA X Division Champion Match - Kazarian w/ “Nature Boy” Ric Flair vs. Rob Van Dam

TNA World Tag Team Championship Match - Beer Money, Inc. vs. Douglas Williams & “The Blueprint” Matt Morgan

“King of the Mountain” Jeff Jarrett has issued an open challenge!

Also Appearing: Olympic Gold Medallist Kurt Angle, TNA Knockouts Champion Madison Rayne, Mickie James, “Prince of Punk” Shannon Moore, Angelina Love, Tara, Mark Haskins and more!

Saturday 29th January - London Wembley Arena

TNA World Heavyweight Championship Match - Mr. Anderson vs. Jeff Hardy

TNA World Tag Team Championship Match - Beer Money, Inc. vs. Motorcity Machine Guns

First Time Ever! - “Nature Boy” Ric Flair vs. Douglas Williams

Genesis Re-Match - Rob Van Dam vs. Matt Hardy

Special Challenge Match - “King of the Mountain” Jeff Jarrett vs. England’s own Johnny Moss

TNA X Division Champion Kazarian will defend the gold!

Also Appearing: Olympic Gold Medallist Kurt Angle, TNA Knockouts Champion Madison Rayne, “The Blueprint” Matt Morgan, “The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero, Mickie James, “Prince of Punk” Shannon Moore, Angelina Love, Tara, Mark Haskins and more!

Tickets for the can be bought from www.gigsandtours.com and via a 24 hour hotline on 0844 811 0051, as well as www.gigsinscotland.com and 0844 999 990 for Glasgow. Full details of the UK events are:

Thursday 27th January Glasgow Braehead Arena 0844 499 9990

Friday 28th January Manchester Evening News Arena 0844 847 8000

Saturday 29th January London Wembley Arena 0844 815 0815

Bell time for all shows is 7:30pm with doors opening between 6pm and 6:30pm.

MATCHES ANNOUNCED FOR TNA WRESTLING’S JANUARY “MAXIMUM IMPACT!” DUBLIN EVENT

2011-01-16T12:09:00.000-08:00

Dublin (January 12, 2011): Total Nonstop Action (TNA) today announces the full line-up for its “Maximum iMPACT! 2011” European Tour event in Dublin, Ireland, including new additions Matt Hardy and Kurt Angle.

Hardy and the Olympic Gold Medallist join a roster of top TNA superstars that already includes “Nature Boy” Ric Flair, Jeff Hardy, Rob Van Dam, Mickie James, Douglas Williams, “King of the Mountain” Jeff Jarrett and TNA World Heavyweight Champion Mr. Anderson.

Sadly AJ Styles has suffered an injury meaning he will miss the Tour, which also takes in Lyon, Paris, Berlin, Glasgow, Manchester and London.

The matches announced for the “TNA Maximum iMPACT! 2011” event include:

Monday 24th January - Dublin National Stadium

TNA World Heavyweight Championship Match - Mr. Anderson vs. Jeff Hardy vs. “King of the Mountain” Jeff Jarrett

TNA World Tag Team Championship Match - Beer Money, Inc. vs. Motorcity Machine Guns

Genesis Re-Match - Rob Van Dam vs. Matt Hardy

TNA Knockouts Tag Team Action – TNA Knockouts Champion Madison Rayne & Tara vs. Mickie James and Angelina Love

TNA X Division Champion Kazarian will defend the gold!

Also Appearing: “Nature Boy” Ric Flair, Olympic Gold Medallist Kurt Angle, “The Blueprint” Matt Morgan, “The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero, Douglas Williams, “Prince of Punk” Shannon Moore, Mark Haskins and more!

Tickets from €34 including booking fee go are on sale now through Ticketmaster.ie and usual outlets nationwide.

Special €75 tickets include Early Entry, Best Ringside Seats, Meet & Greet and Programme.

Bell time is 7:30pm with doors opening between 6pm and 6:30pm.

MMA'S GOLDEN BOY! - Evolution not Revolution

2011-01-15T12:10:00.000-08:00

It was the American businessman Howard Schulz, the man who led Starbucks to become a household name, who said: "I'd encourage everyone to dream big, lay your foundations well, absorb information like a sponge, and not be afraid to defy conventional wisdom." Oh, if only the vast majority of mixed martial arts promoters had taken heed.
Ever since the Ultimate Fighting Championship began making serious money from the MMA business in 2005, largely thanks to being bank-rolled by owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, dozens of promoters have thrown their hat, and their cash, into the ring in the hope of getting their piece of the pie. What most didn't factor in, however, was the patience that the Fertittas showed with the UFC brand, taking a $40m hit to their casino-driven bank accounts before finally turning things around four years after their purchase of the company. The likes of Elite XC and Affliction Entertainment, believing that money was all that was required to make them long-term players in the MMA game, were gone before they really arrived.
How refreshing, then, to know that while the new investment in the Cage Wars Championship group will be celebrated with a huge event at Belfast's Odyssey Arena (the UFC's first-choice venue to hold UFC 72 in June 2007) on December 10, the company's philosophy on star names, match-making, and opportunities for local fighters will remain the same. Clearly, despite the added resources at their exposure, it's a case of evolution, not revolution.
"The philosophy for us has always been very simple: to build something, and to build it well," Patrick Mooney, CEO of Cage Wars Championship, told Fighters. "Fundamentally, what we try to achieve is a good fight card every time we run a show. I've always felt that if we do that correctly, then on that foundation, all that we want to achieve will follow."
"When people bring big names to their show, they tend to just focus on those names," he added. "What we try to do is to shine the light of those name fighters onto the younger guys who need that push. Putting the younger guys against the veterans is a great opportunity for them; they may not win, but it's a way for these talented people to be seen. It's that break that everybody needs to get to make a real success of themselves. So what we've always tried to do is elevate these guys to a higher level, to make them more noticeable, and to allow them to make a living out of the sport that they've put so much into."
'Validation', as the upcoming show has been subtitled, will afford the combatants the chance to do exactly that, but Mooney is well aware that, having taken almost a year to negotiate new television deals - which now see the company have significant viewing figures in Europe, North America, and Asia - and created a public limited company to house the CWC brand, now is the time to let the fighters fight, and to let the fans enjoy the show once again...

EFC - The Ultimate Battle

2011-01-14T12:11:00.000-08:00

There aren't many fighters who are willing to enter the cage three times in one night, but six men came to Romford and stepped forward to test their grit by competing in the tournament for EFC's middleweight title. Those who made it to the final would have to participate in all stages of contest in one night, with the winner getting the belt and a £5000 prize. It wasn't just a tournament with some of the UK's best middleweights on the September 12th card; several semi-pro fights, a boxing bout and professional match ups all resulted in a night of fierce battles and dramatic finishes.
Two semi-pros collided in the cage first, but even with their amateur status these guys put on a show that would give professionals a run for their money. Team Conflict's James Grieves showed excellent wrestling skills in big double leg takedowns, but he had to be weary of Peter Pressland's superb guard that was constantly hunting for triangles and armbars. In the end it turned out too close to call, Grieves' aggressive style and Pressland's submission hunting weighed even in the judges eyes that resulted in a well deserved draw.
From MMA we switch to the boxing game, where Tony Munday and Chris Cooch donned the large gloves. The two met under Queensbury rules and which obviously suited Cooch well as he comfortably knocked Munday down with a right hook in the first minute of the first round. Although Munday was the faster fighter, Cooch's aggressive and powerful punches stormed through Munday's defences that sent him stumbling around the ring on more than one occasion. The fight ended with the judges giving a clear unanimous decision to Essex's Cooch.
The tension raised as the first round of the middleweight tournament began with Middlesex's always dangerous Denniston Sutherland taking on seasoned pro Steve Dossett in a stand up war. Although Dossett landed a superb spinning back fist and Sutherland got a takedown, it was the clean and powerful strikes which gave Sutherland the advantage. Dossett's confidence waned in the second and Sutherland brutalised him with punches in the clinch until the doctor called a stop to the fight due a cut over Dossett's eye, giving the win to Sutherland via TKO.
The second preliminary tournament bout had two fighters that both had reputations for being the most fearless out there. Sheffield's Shaun Lomas used his big powerful hooks to keep SWS Fightclub's Earl Brown on the back foot, but Brown had been working on his wrestling and showed some slammed Lomas to the mat with some takedowns. Loma's aggressive ground and pound was too much for Brown's impressive grappling and Lomas etched out the win from the judges...